Your Cross Country Moving Checklist

Your Ultimate Guide to Cross Country Moving

Moving, by its very nature, is a disruptive, complicated and a stressful event. If you add the fact that you are moving cross-country, it becomes an even bigger undertaking. It is challenging enough to pack your things and move to new home in the neighboring town. But if you have to move across a distance of more than 3,000 miles, you realize that it can indeed be very stressful. However, good planning, tips from experts and research will help make things a lot easier for you.

After getting a house in your new place, it is important that you devise a plan of moving. This can be hiring movers or even doing it yourself. Next is to schedule the move, pack and then hit the road. Use our expert cross country moving checklist to help you combat this expedition.

Before you move

Step 1: Clean, Clean and Clean even more before making your move.

If you happen to be like average Americans, chances are that you have been postponing spring cleaning for some years now. Grab this opportunity to tidy up your home and put everything in its right place. But why clean? It’s impractical to know what you have as well as what you need if you cannot find anything. Also, you will have to clean your apartment or house before moving on anyway.

Step 2: Identify the Unwanted Items

You not have to carry unnecessary items to your new place of living. For what will you be using your high school term papers? Those old clothes that no longer fit you, donate them. With moving, less is better. You could even have a yard sale if there are so many things to get rid of.

Step 3: Take stock of your possessions

Write down everything that you own and especially vehicles, heavy things which are likely to take up too much space and furniture.

• What is their worth?

• If shipping these possessions to your new destination costs more than their actual value, will you be able to let go of them?

Step 4: Photograph all your valuables

This way, you will have a time-stamped record of all your valuable possessions as well as their conditions.

Step 5 : Wrap, Pad, and Label Everything!

All your boxes need to be labeled. It will help you a lot when you are unpacking the boxes because it will be easy to locate an item instead of wading through a maze of boxes for hours. On the box, write the items contained inside as well as their destination room in your new house. You may even color code your boxes to make things much easier.

Find a Mover or Truck Rental

After organizing your house, the next thing is to decide if you want to contract professional movers or if you will move yourself. Each approach has its own pros and cons. Irrespective of your reference, it is critical that you know the questions that you need to ask prior to hiring a truck rental or a mover.

• Provide all your information to the company

A mover will only give you an accurate timeline or quote if you furnish them with all the necessary info, which even includes an approximate date of moving.

• Get accurate quote

Get at least 3 quotes from different moving companies. Ask if the price includes all fees. Also, find out if there are extra charges for additional services.

• Find out about the value protection

Make sure that you understand the extent of the coverage of your stuffs should they get damaged while on transit.

Shipping Your Vehicle

Organize for how your vehicle will be shipped to your new living place unless you are planning to drive to your destination. In the same way, get quotes regarding shipping your car. Make sure the company shipping your car has insurance to protect your car(s) while on transit. Insurance protects you from theft or damage.

What will it cost to contract cross country movers?

This question, unfortunately, is not one that can be answered straight off. Many factors go into the pricing of a move and these include distance, size, and time of the year among other things. There is no doubt that hiring professional cross country movers is costlier than DIY move. But hiring these professional movers has lots of advantages. If you work with professional movers, you will avoid heavy lifting, packing, wrapping, boxing, folding, taping and all other things that come with a cross-country move.

Make sure you can afford the cost of a cross country move. If unsure of how much it will cost, get quotes from at least 6 different companies that specialize in cross country move. This also helps you know the amount of money you will be saving if you choose the DIY route.

Keep all the receipts

If it is your employer that is paying for the move, you need to figure out the expenses and responsibilities that fall on your shoulders and the ones that your employer will be catering for. Where your employer will be refunding you after the move, be sure to keep all the documentation and the receipt. Consult your personal accountant or your IRS if you will be paying for a part or all of the relocation to know the expenses that could be tax deductible.

Things to do on the moving day

• Have carpets, floor as well as door frame protectors placed throughout your home.
• Load items in pre-designated order. The last load item should be kept at the rear of the shipment.
• Inspect every room as well as every closet to ensure that you do not leave anything behind.
• It is a good idea to leave your new address behind as this will help future occupants to forward your stray mails.

Moving must not always be stressful even if you have a long to-do list. The secret is to plan meticulously, research thoroughly and start early. You will have to decide on whether you hire a truck rental to move yourself or if you can enlist the help of a professional. While DIY moving appears cheaper, hiring professional cross-country movers is the wiser thing to do. They make things a lot easier for you so that you do not have to be stressed about packing, wrapping, driving to your new destination and such like things.